The Atomic City Girls

January 1, 2018
Beard’s satisfying second novel (after Beneath the Pines) gives a human dimension to the lesser-known true-life events that took place in Oak Ridge, Tenn., during World War II. Eighteen-year-old June Walker leaves her family and simple upbringing behind to work at the brand-new Oak Ridge facility (where security is tight and breaches aren’t tolerated), learning to turn dials on machines whose function she doesn’t understand. Her roommate, the glamorous Cici Roberts, makes finding a husband her priority. In the bare-bones segregated hutments that house African-American workers, Joe Brewer works tirelessly while pining for his family back home. Meanwhile, June starts a romance with physicist Sam Cantor, who is working to produce uranium for the atomic bomb being developed in Los Alamos. As June learns more about the project, she must reconcile her own part in it with her love for the increasingly volatile Sam, who comes from a very different world. Beard’s fascinating narrative brings to life four people with different outlooks and dreams whose fates memorably intertwine.

Xe Sands's ability to create dynamic characters that remain true to the author's intent shines in this story of four people whose lives converge in the military city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during the last year of WWII. Sands's smooth delivery, with a hint of a Southern accent, is softened for June, a smart country girl who is looking for something more than life on the farm. Sands's voice takes on an edge for Cici, June's more worldly roommate, who has only one goal: to marry rich. Sands's portrayal of Joe, a black construction worker, emphasizes his weariness and how much he misses his wife and children. Finally, she captures physicist Sam's struggle to come to terms with his role in building the atomic bomb, the world's deadliest weapon. C.B.L. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

November 15, 2017

In 1944, the town of Oak Ridge, TN, doesn't technically exist, yet it is home to thousands of workers racing to build the first atomic bomb. Beard's (Beneath the Pines) new historical novel focuses on the little-known realities behind the Manhattan Project. The production facility is a nice place to live and work for white country girls wanting good wages, but it's a slum with atrocious living conditions for segregated black workers. Eighteen-year-old farm girl June Walker is thrilled to be at Oak Ridge, but she doesn't know the true purpose of her work and is warned never to discuss details. Her affair with physicist Sam Cantor and his drunken slip of the tongue about the bomb test her loyalty. In exchange for higher wages, construction worker Joe Brewer endures substandard accommodations, separation from his family, and a tragedy that strikes a young friend fighting for equal rights. America's fight for freedom and dignity across the globe is sharply contrasted with blatant racism and injustice at home. VERDICT Readers who enjoyed Martha Hall Kelly'sLilac Girls will appreciate this glimpse into the beliefs and attitudes that shaped America during World War II. [See Prepub Alert, 8/28/17.]--K.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2017
In the 1940s, Americans--many of them with no idea what they're doing--work together to create an atomic bomb.June Walker is just 18 when she moves to Oak Ridge, a town situated within a restricted military area, to work at her first job. Along with many other young women, she's instructed to watch the meters and adjust the dials in front of her--she gets no other information about what she is doing. Surrounded by signs with slogans like "What you do here, what you see here, what you hear here, let it stay here," the women are ordered to avoid telling their friends and family anything about Oak Ridge. Most of the women June works alongside are able to easily avoid worrying about the true purpose of their work, content to distract themselves with flirting and nightly dances. But not everyone at Oak Ridge is in the dark about the weapon they're building; Sam Cantor, a Jewish scientist, knows that the workers of Oak Ridge are rushing to create an atomic bomb that will hopefully end the war. When he and June begin a romance and he tells June what she's working on, she must deal with the knowledge that she's creating a devastating weapon. Although June's and Sam's voices are most prominent, Beard (Beneath the Pines, 2008) also explores two more points of view: those of Cici, June's social striver roommate, and Joe, an African-American construction worker who faces segregation and poor living conditions. The characters, especially June, are well-drawn and sympathetic. Numerous real photos of Oak Ridge are included, which add visual interest to an already compelling story. Fans of historical fiction will devour this complex and human look at the people involved in the creation of the atomic bomb.A fascinating look at an underexplored chapter of American history.

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Starred review from November 15, 2017
In the WWII race to beat the Nazis to the atomic bomb, the Manhattan Project was formed; in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a gated city sprang up to produce the requisite uranium. Beard's second historical novel (Beneath the Pines, 2008) tells the story of that city through the eyes of four interrelated characters. Local teen June Walker, working her first job, rooms with Cici Roberts, born poor but determined to fix this through a rich marriage. Sam Cantor is a lead scientist working at Oak Ridge, and Joe Brewer works on construction of the city while living in the city's inferior, segregated area. These distinct perspectives allow a glimpse at the social hierarchy of Oak Ridge as well as the work done therefor the most part by people who did not know what, exactly, they were working on. Beard has taken a project of momentous impact and injected a human element into it. The workers at Oak Ridge struggle with emotional issues, like love and jealousy, as well as societal ones, like segregation and the moral dilemma of creating a bomb made for wide-scale destruction. This is approachable, intelligent, and highly satisfying historical fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)